HOBOKEN -- A study conducted by Rutgers University and New Jersey Future says that 21 towns with "combined" sewer systems (those that treat rainwater and sewage through the same conduits) will need to upgrade for a total of $2 billion. The problem has been discussed in Hoboken for years and work has been proposed, but it's not enough the report says.

The report notes that portions of Hoboken's sewer system are as old as the Civil War.

Federal law passed two decades ago says that towns have to stop using combined sewer systems, but the updates are expensive and have taken a long time.